Contact puller



Dec. 4, 1962 T. E. GANNOE 3,066,397

CONTACT FULLER lNvENToR THOMAS E. GANNOE Dec. 4, 1962 T. E. GANNOE 3,066,397

CONTACT PULLER Filed Feb. 20. 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Fjg, E Y ETYHoh/IAS E. GANNoE ATTORN T. E. GANNOE CONTACT FULLER Dec. 4, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 20, 1961 INVENTOR THOMAS E. GANNOE T. E. GANNOE CONTACT FULLER Dec., 4, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 20, 1961 INVENTOR THOMAS E. GANNOE ATTORNEY T. E. GANNOE CONTACT FULLER Dec. v4, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 20, 1961 INVENTOR THOMAS E. GANNOE i ATTORNE Dec. 4, 1962 T. E. GANNOE 3,066,397

CONTACT FULLER Filed Feb. 20, `21.961 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 lNvENToR THOMAS E. GANNOE www ATTORN EY United States Patent Odtice latented Dec. d, 1%52 This invention relates to contact pullers.

ln the association of a large number of spring contacts with a Contact retaining member or block, dilculty has been experienced in the amount of time consumed in carrying out the process as well as in obtaining even positioning of all of the contacts in the retaining member.

The diiliculty is increased where the contacts in the member are arranged in multiple rows and still ni re so where the spring contacts are provided with projections or dimples which must bite their way into the insulating supporting member for better retention in the member.

lt is an object of this invention to enable a large number of Contact springs to be positioned wi iin a supporting insulating body with speed and facility and to be lirmly held therein.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide for the even positioning in the block of a number oi equal length contacts where the contacts are arranged in multiple rows, so that the tops and bottoms of all ot the contacts will be at the saine level with reference to surfaces of the block.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mec. anisrn to pull rows of spring contacts into a block without imparting an undesired permanent set to the contacts.

These and other objects will be made clear upon consideration of the following specification, taken in con junction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation of the contact puller;

FlG. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

PEG. 3 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line d-i of PEG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of a clamp plate forming a part of the contact puller;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view or a set of clamp plates of the organization;

PEG. 7 is a similar view of another set of clamp plates or the organization;

PEG. il is an elevation of a pin used in association with the clamp plates;

EEG. 9 is a perspective View of a motor mechanism and associated parts to operate the clamp plates;

FiG. l0 shows au insulating block into which contacts are to be pulled;

FEiG. ll shows one type of contact to be pulled into the block;

FIG. l2 is a view showing how the contacts are positioned in a block prior to being pulled down by the clamp plates, and

HG. 13 is a view of the contacts pulled into the block by the clamp plates.

Now referring to the drawings in greater detail, at 2i?, FlG. l, is indicated a rectangular table top mounted on a suitable frame.

Fixedly mounted on the table top is a pair of guide blocks 22, each having a vertical recess 24 of rectangular cross section to snugly receive a slide 2d, see FlGS. 1, 2 and 4, also rectangular in cross section. To retain the slides in the guide blocks, there is provided for each guide block a pair of gibs or cover plates secured to the associated guide block by screws 3d. The slides at their lower ends are affixed by screws 3l to a horizontal vertically reciprocable lower mounting bar S2. Atop the pair oi slides is secured a horizontal nest plate 33, as by screws 3d, said nest plate being adapted to support a Contact block 35 into which a large group of contacts is to be pulled into position.

The nest plate itself, see FGS. l, l2 and 13, has a window 36 with shoulders 38 to seat the contact block, in this case, the contact block, illustrated in FIG. l0, is rectangular in cross section and the recessed portion is rectangular to contorni with the conguration of the contact block. The contact block, it should be noted, is provided with longitudinal recesses or lreyways d@ which are utilized in the contact puller to assist in positioning and holding the contact block in place.. Prior to the block being seated on the shoulders 38, elongated keys d2 with attached blades id are engaged with the recesses dit in the blocl; and the blades are then brought to rest on the shoulders 4-6.

Surmounting and fastened to the nest plate by screws i3 is a pivot supporting yoke 5d carrying pivot pins S2. Above the nest plate is a gantry plate 5d shaped like a paddle with a narrow portion 56 pivoted by the pins 52 and a wider portion 5d adapted to support a metal pressure plate dit and attached pad or rubber mat 62. The mat is adapted to press against the tops of spring contacts preliminarily loosely dropped into the Contact block, as will be described, so as to bring the tops of the contacts, all flush, a short distance above the top of the block. To attain this result, the gantry plate slidably supports screws 6d having heads normally shouldered in the top surface of the plate 5d and threaded into the pressure plate ed. Springs 66 encircling the screws react between the gantry and pressure plates and apply a pressure to the rubber mat when the gantry plate is locked in horizontal position. To lock the gantry plate, there is aiiiXed thereto a latch bar 68 with forked free ends 79 which cooperate with a Wing nut 72 screwed into a stop block 7d. The stop block is held to the upper surface of the nest plate by screws 75. When the gantry plate and latch bar are brought to the horizontal position, the forked ends will pass by the wings of the nut 72, which then has its wings parallel to the longitudinal axis of the latch bar, and come to rest on the stop bar. Then the wing nut may be given a quarter turn to loci` the gantry plate in horizontal position. A stop plate lo fastened to the sides of the yoke 5@ acts as a stop for the right-hand end of gantry plate 5d, FIG. l, when it is pivoted to its extreme inclined inactive position.

Any suitable motor means, see FlGS. l and 2, may be employed to raise and lower the nest plate, its supported contact block and gantry. As here shown, the bar 32 supporting the slides 2d is crazed to the upper end of a piston rod titl of a motor Si, whose pist-on S2 operates in a cylinder mounted on a spacing block 8d secured to an angled iron Sli fastened via a depending plate 39 to the underside of the table top 2d. Fluid under pressure is applied via fluid admission and venting valves, as is conventional in the art, to both sides of the double acting piston. When Huid pressure is applied beneath the piston, the assemblage of nest plate, contact block and gantry is raised. Since, as will be explained, the ends of the Contact springs below the block are held against motion, the Contact springs will be pulled into the block as the block rises.

Before describing the mechanism for clamping the lower free ends of the contact springs against movement while the block itself moves upwardly in order to seat the springs within the block, a further description will be given of such a block. lt should be noted, however, that the invention is applicable to any form of Contact member wherein it is desired to pull a large number of contact springs into a plug or receptacle.

The particular bloei; 35 disclosed here is used in computer mechanism and comprises, see FIG. l0, a parallelepiped ot insulating material provided with the two longitudinal grooves or keyways 4@ in the block, the block having a rathei` thick bottom 9@ pierced with rectangular openings 12 to very tightly receive the straight rectangular in cross section ends or prongs of contact springs and springs 9S with reverse bends in them, the springs alternating across the width of the block. Each of the contact springs is further provided with dimples or enlargements 96 to gouge their way into the insulating material when the block is pulled upwardly with reference to the springs and with a non-corrosive contact dot 97 for contact with a printed circuit board to be inserted into the block.

The block comprises eight rows of spring contacts between transverse partitions g8 with sixteen contacts in each row separated from each other by webs 99 extending from one vertical partition 93 part way across to an adjacent partition or end wall of he block. Adjacent contacts 14 and of a row are bent reversely to each other, as set forth hereinbefore, with prongs 166 of contacts 94 in one row and prongs 161 of contacts is' in another row. There is thus provided beneath the block twice as many rows of contact prongs (here sixteen) as the number of rows of contacts in the upper face of the block.

To grip the contact prongs 166, 101 and hold them against movement while the block is pulled upwardly, the following mechanism is provided:

Bolted onto the table 2 see FlGS. l and 9, is a power operated vise 11@ comprising a base plate 117 provided with a way 114 in which is slidably mounted a vise jaw 116 having a broad foot 11S extending along the length of the way. rl'he jaw itself is slightly narrower than the width of the way to span between two gibs or guides 12@ screwed to the plate 112 and overhanging the way 114 to confine the vise jaw against vertical displacement relative to the way. The vise jaw 116 is at one end of the Way. Slidable at the other end of the way and guided by the gibs 12? is a cradle 122 to which is fastened a cylinder 124 of a lluid motor 125 and. in which is located a piston 126. A piston rod 12S is secured to the pis-ton and extends over the way, the free end of the piston rod being shouldered against the jaw and having a reduced threaded end 129 passing through the vise jaw 116 and bolted thereto by a washer 136 and nut 132. The motor is double acting, the motor being supplied with lluid via suitable lleXible hoses 13dr from a source of uid under pressure and under conventional valve control.

Integral with the right-hand end of the cradle, FIG. 7, is a companion vise jaw 136. The motor mechanism between the jaws moves the cradle with attached vise jaw 136 and vise jaw 116 toward and from each other. Stops 140 are bolted to the gibs 126, these stops being provided with adjustable stop screws 11312 to limit the separating movement of the jaws. A cleat 144 fastened in the way 114 limits the movement of the jaws toward each other, this cleat being positioned directly beneath the center of the opening or window in the nest plate. The foot 118 and cradle 1212 are of such extent that the travel of the vise jaws 116 and 136 toward the cleat is equal. The cleat therefore tends to center the jaws with respect to the cradle.

Mounted atop the guide blocks 22, see FIGS. l, 2 and 4, is an upper mounting plate whose ends are recessed, as at 151, to straddle the slides 26. The plate 156 has integral upstanding thick parallel walls 152 providing a space for the mounting of intermediate pulling jaws or plates, as will be pointed out, and for movement of the vise jaws 116 and 136. Two gibs or guide plates 154 are mounted on top of the walls and form lateral guides for the movement of the vise jaws, which are suitably shouldered at 15S. They also guide shoulders of the intermediate pulling jaws. Running parallel to the walls, in the base of the plate 154B, is a groove 156 within which is fixed a key 15S for guiding the pulling jaws to be described. The pulling jaws comprise two end jaws 166 and 162, see FIGS. 6 and 7, adapted to be engaged by .the vise jaw blocks 163, HG. 9, secured to the vise jaws d. 116 and 136 by bolts 159, when the motor pulls the vise jaws toward each other. There are still other jaws intermediate the end jaws 161i and 162. These, see FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, comprise a pair of center jaws 164 and 166, jaws 16S intermediate jaws 166 and 164, and jaws 170 intermediate jaws 166 and 162.

All of these jaws are plates generally rectangular in conguration, with a recess 172 at the bottom edge of each plate to slide on the key 15S, and shoulders 174 at the top edge to slidably engage the gibs 154.

Each of the plates of the series of plates 162, 166 and 176, FlG. 7, is perforated with four holes 176, two being placed in vertical alinernent centrally of the width of the plate and the other two in horizontal alinement, substantially midway of the height of the plate and close to the lateral edges of the plate. rl`he top edge of each plate is offset with a beveled edge 177 leading to the offset, FlG. 5, and within the offset portion is positioned a pair of parallel horizontal contact prong gripping ridges 186. The end plate has a stepped portion, beveled portion, and ridges only on the side facing the other plates; the intermediate plates have such stepped portions, bevels, and ridges on both sides of each plate; and the center plate requires and has a stepped portion, bevel, and ridges only on the side facing the plates 170.

The remaining plates 166, 164 and 16S, see FIGS. 4 and 6, present a similar configuration except that the holes 162 through these plates are out of alinement with the holes 176 in the plates previously described. As here shown, the holes 182 form the apices of an isosceles trapezoid. ri`he positions of the holes in the two sets of plates may be varied at will, but the holes of one set should not be in alinement with the holes in the other set.

The combined thickness of the two center plates 164 and 166 is just slightly under the spacing between adjacent rows of contacts in the contact block and the thickness of each of the intermediate plates is barely under the spacing between adjacent rows of contacts in the contact block.

Slidably retained in each of the four holes 176 in all of the plates 162, 166 and 176 is a pin A183 of a length just slightly greater than one-half the distance between the opposing faces of the vise jaw blocks 163 when they are in closed operative position urging the ridges of the plates to bite slightly into the prongs of the contacts. These pins react between the right-hand block 163 on vise jaw `136 and the plate 166, pushing that plate and the intermediate plates 176* and end plate 162 toward the second block 163 on vise jaw 116. Similar pins in the holes of the other set of blocks cause the block 163 on vise jaw 116 to push the plate 164, intermediate plates 16S and end plate 160 against the block 163 on jaw 136. The result is that the distance traveled by the plates from a position where the plates may freely receive the prongs between the ridges and the position where the prongs are tightly held by the ridges on the plates is small. Were all the plates to be moved from one end, as from jaw 116, toward the other end, as jaw 136, it is Obvious that the displacement of the plates would be much greater, possibly resulting in imparting a permanent bend or set to some 'of the prongs of the spring contacts. It is within the principle of this invention to interpose las many pairs of pin abutment plates 164, 166, as may be desired, in between the plates 16S and in between the plates 170, with a suitable number of out-of-line holes in sets of plates, and suitable length pins, to still further diminish the distances moved by the plates to cause tight engagement of the prongs by the ridges on the plates. As here embodied, when both vise jaws 116 and 136 move inward under iniiuence of fluid pressure applied to the piston 126, the set of plates 164, 163 and 160 clamps onto onehalf of the prongs, while the set of plates 166, 170, and 162 clamps onto the other half of the prongs. When so clamped, power is applied to the piston 82 of the nest lifting motor 81 to raise the nest and pull the contacts down into seating engagement in the block. The fluid pressure applied to the piston 82 may be regulated by a uid pressure limiting valve, as is well known in the art, to prevent too great a pull on the prongs.

After the contacts have been pulled into place, the pressure applied to the vise motor 125 is reversed, as by manual valve actuation, and the plates are permitted to release the prongs. Then the nest lifting motor 81 is reversed as by manual valve actuation and the nest is lowered.

To assist in releasing the plates and spacing them proper distances apart to receive the rows of prongs from the spring contacts, each of the plates, except the center plates 164 and 16%, is provided with `a vertical groove 184, Vshaped in cross section, on each of the vertical edges of the plates. Cooperating with the grooves in the plates is a pair of rail bars 186, FIGS. 1 and 4, with serrated vertical arrises 18S so spaced that when the bars are urged toward each other, the arrises will move into the' grooves in the plates and move them apart. To continuously urge the rail bars toward each other, the bars are recessed as indicated at 19) to seat springs 192 which react against plugs 194i threaded in threaded bores 196 in the vertical walls 152 of the upper mountng plate 156.

Reviewing the operation of the mechanism, initially the nest plate 33 is in the lowered position, `the motor 8:1 having its piston 82 in the down position. The motor 125 has moved the jaws 116 and 135 apart against the stop screws 142, centering the jaws with respect to the nest in plate 33. The gantry plate 5dis tilted up about its pivot pins 52 to permit insertion of a contact carrying block in the nest. This block is loosely loaded with contact springs. The block is centered in the nest by aid of the keys ft2 and blades 44. Now the gantry plate is forced to lowered horizontal position7 and through the intermediary of the latch bar 68 and wing nut 72, the gantry plate is locked in position. As the gantry plate is forced to horizontal position, the rubber mat forces the loose contact springs down into the block until they are all evened up with the tops thereof in one plane and a slight distance above the top of the block. For this purpose, the rubber mat is of quite firm texture. After the initial positioning of the contact springs, the vise operating motor 125 is energized to bring the vise jaws 116 and 136 toward each other to shift the prong engaging plates, in groups, toward each other, the group of plates 169, 164 and 168 acting as a unit and the group of plates 160, 166 `and 176 acting as a unit. The cleat 144i in the way i114 as well as the stop screws 142 tend to center the vise jaws 116 and 136, the cleat being narrow enough to allow the jaws to apply full pressure on the sets of plates. After clamping the prongs, the nest plate is raised, etlecting a seating of the contact springs onto the inside of the bottom wall of the block with all of the prongs pulled through the block to an equal extent. The dimples 96 on the prongs gouge into the side walls of the apertures in the blocks, whereby thev contact springs are firmly held within the block. Next, the vise operating motor 125 is reversed, the vise jaws 116 and 136 separate and the spacing rail bars 186 then function under inuence of the springs 192 to cause their serrated edges to engage in the' vertical V-shaped grooves in the plates to separate and properly space these apart. Upon release of the wing nut and raising of the gantry plate, the keys 4t2 and their blades are removed and the contact block with positioned contact springs therein may be removed from the nest.

What is claimed is:

l. A contact puller comprising a nest plate having a window with a shouldered portion for supporting an insulating block with a multiplicity of rows of contacts loosely threaded therethrough and with prong ends of the contacts extending beyond the block, clamping plates opposite the window and slidable toward each other for engaging ail of the prong ends of the contacts, power means for forcing the clamping plates toward each other, with the prong ends between the plates, and means for relatively moving the nest plate and clamping plates in opposite directions to pull the contacts tightly into the block.

2. A contact puller comprising a nest plate having an apertured seat for a contact block with rows of contacts loosely threaded therethrough and with prong ends of the contacts extending beyond the block, said ends being arranged in multiple rows, parallel clamping plates opposite the apertured seat and slidable toward each other movable between the rows of contacts, power means for forcing the clamping plates toward each other, with the prong ends between the plates, and means for relatively moving the nest plate and clamping plates away from each other to pull the contacts tightly into the block.

3. A contact puller comprising a nest plate having an apertured seat for a contact block, said block initially having rows of contacts loosely threaded therethrough with the contacts arranged in rows and columns, prongs of the contacts extending beyond the block, clamping plates opposite the apertured seat and slidable toward each other movable in between the prongs, said clamp ing plates having sharp ridges parallel to the rows of prongs to engage and bite into the prongs, power means for forcing the clamping plates toward each other, with the prong ends between the plates, to cause the plates to move against the prongs to firmly engage the ridges with the prongs and means to move the block and plates away from each other to Seat the contacts rmly within the block.

4. A contact puller comprising a nest plate having an apertured seat for a contact block, said block initially having contacts loosely threaded therethrough with the contacts arranged in rows, and with ends extending above the block and prongs of the contacts extending below the block, a resilient mat supported above the plate with pressure applying means acting on the mat to urge the same downwardly against the upper ends of the contacts to bring these ends into a common plane, clamping plates below the nest plate with means to move them into clamping engagement with the prongs, and means to relatively move the nest plate and clamping plates in opposite directions to seat the contacts within the block.

5. A Contact puller comprising a nest plate receiving and supporting an insulating block with contacts arranged in rows initially loosely threaded through the block and with the contacts having upper ends extending above the block and lower prong ends extending below the block, a gantry plate in fixed position above the nest plate, a pressure mat between the gantry plate and contact block with spring means supporting the mat and urging it downwardly away lfrom the gantry plate, clamping plates in between rows of prongs, mechanism to move the clamping pl-ates laterally into tight engagement with the prongs, and moving means to move the nest plate and clamping plates in a vertical direction away from each other to pull the spring contacts into the block.

6. A contact puller for pulling rows and columns of spring contacts into a contact block comprising a seat for the contact block, said contact block having contacts loosely threaded therethrough, a press mat above the block for initially forcing the contacts into the block so that the top ends thereof are in a common plane, and plates for clamping the lower ends of the contacts against movement, means for moving the clamping plates to clamping position and means for raising the seat to pull the block upwardly along the contacts to thereby finally position the contacts in the block.

7. A contact puller comprising a nest plate for seating a contact block with contacts loosely threaded therethrough and with reference to which said contacts are to be pulled into linal position, drive means to raise and lower the nest plate, clamping plates for engaging the contacts, vise members to operate the plates and a motor for operating the vise members, said clamping plates comprising two sets of plates, each set comprising an end plate, intermediate plates and a central plate, all plates of each set being perforated in registration with one another and the perforations of one set being out of registration with the perforations of the other set, and pins in each of said perforations, said pins being of a length a little greater than the distance between a vise member adjacent the end plate of one set and the central plate of the other set when the plates are in contact clamping position, whereby the clamping of the plates on the contacts will be etected in two distinct groupings with small shift of the clamping plates.

8. A contact puller comprising a nest plate for seating a contact block with contacts initially loosely threaded therethrough with the contacts extending above and below the block, means for bringing the tops of the contacts to a common plane preparatory to pulling the same through the block comprising a gantry member shiftably mounted over the nest plate and means to ixedly position the member over the nest plate and over the contacts in the block, said member having a resilient mat contacting the tops of the contacts, spring means reacting between the mat and gantry member to press the mat down on the contacts and move them into the block to a common top level, clamping means engaging the lower ends of the contacts, and means to relatively move the nest plate and clamping means away from each other to pull the contacts into the block.

9. A contact puller comprising a nest plate for seating a contact block with contacts, arranged in rows, initially loosely threaded therethrough, and having prongs arranged in rows extending below the block, parallel vertical clamping plates positioned in between the rows of prongs, means for moving the plates together and in contact with the rows of prongs to clamp them against movement relative to the clamping plates, means `for shifting the nest plate relative to the clamping plates to pull the contacts downwardly with reference to the block, and means to release the plates from the contacts and space them apart comprising vertical grooves in the vertical edges of the plates, and a pair of horizontal bars biased for movement toward the edges and having vertical arrises in engagement with the grooves.

10. A contact puller comprising a nest plate for seating a contact block with contacts, arranged in rows, initially loosely threaded therethrough, and having prongs arranged in rows extending below the block, parallel vertical clamping plates positioned in between the rows 'of prongs, means for moving the plates together and in contact with the rows of prongs to clamp them against movement relative to the clamping plates, means for shifting the nest plate relative to the clamping plates to pull the contacts downwardly with reference to the block, means to release the plates from the contacts and space them apart comprising vertical grooves in the vertical edges of the plates, a pair of horizontal bars having vertical arrises in engagement with the grooves, and spring means urging the bars toward each other and toward the grooves in the plates.

ll. A Contact puller comprising a nest plate for seating a contact block containing contacts initially loosely threaded therethrough with prongs of the contacts extending below the block, a mounting plate below the nest plate, parallel clamping plates slidable on the mounting plate, said prongs being arranged in rows and lying between pairs of clamping plates, means for moving the plates together to clamp the plates against the prongs, means to move the nest away from the mounting plate to pull the contacts down with reference to the block, grooves in vertical edges of the clamping plates, bars shiftably mounted in the mounting plate having arrises engaging the grooves and spring means between the mounting plate and bars to urge the bars toward the clamping plates.

12. A contact puller comprising a nest plate for seating a contact block containing contacts initially loosely threaded therethrough with prongs of the contacts extending below the block, a mounting plate below the nest plate, a key along the length of the mounting plate, parallel clamping plates slidable on the mounting plate and guided by the key, said prongs being arranged in rows and lying between pairs of clamping plates, means for moving the plates together to clamp the plates against the prongs, means to move the nest away from the mounting plate to pull the contacts down with reference to the block, grooves in vertical edges of the clamping plates, bars shiftably mounted in the mounting plate having arrises engaging the grooves and spring means between the mounting plate and bars to urge the bars toward the clamping plates.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,593,081 Wilmot Apr. l5, 1952 

